Estheffani Rodriguez

March 29, 2017

Advanced sophomore English

LaFond pd. 4

Planned Parenthood funding

There is a controversy in this country over the ethics and morality of abortions. There has

been a renewed call to defund Planned Parenthood because of this. Despite the controversy, there

are still many people who support Planned Parenthood. These people recognize that there are

many reasons as to why it shouldn’t be defunded. I believe it should only be defunded for

abortions but for nothing else. Planned Parenthood shouldn’t be defunded because, they provide

essential health services to women, funding’s are used for more than just abortions, and

defunding blocks people from accessing care.

Planned Parenthood provides essential health services to women, not just abortions.

Planned Parenthood is a non-profit organization that provides reproductive health care in the

United States and even globally. It was funded on the revolutionary idea that women should have

the information and care they need to live strong, healthy lives and fulfill their dreams. Today,

it’s a trusted health care provider that helps many people who can’t afford health care. Many

people want it to be defunded because they provide abortions but, they do much more than just

that. One shall say that they should stop allowing abortions there but not defund the organization

completely. “It’s a trusted health care provider, an informed educator, a passionate advocate, and
a global partner helping similar organizations around the world.” (citation 1) For many

individuals, access to vital reproductive and sexual health care and information is blocked but,

Planned Parenthood provides it to them.

The funding of Planned Parenthood allows the organization to provide many essential

services to low income and uninsured women. One fifth of countries that have a Planned

Parenthood clinic do not have any other clinics that offer family planning services. This provides

to us that they serve a lot of clients and there aren’t any alternatives. The fact is, even though

planned parenthood clinics are only 10% of all family planning clinics, they serve 40% of clients

seeking those services. “Our skilled health care professionals are dedicated to offering all people

high quality, affordable medical care.” (citation 2) There aren’t many clinics in total, only 700

nationwide but, they serve a vast amount of people who require reproductive health services.

Defunding planned parenthood blocks people from accessing care. By defunding Planned

Parenthood, you stop funding abortions, but you also stop funding care for 60% of patients who

rely on Planned Parenthood. First off, they provide free birth control, cancer screening, clinical

breast examinations, STD testing, etc. By defunding it, you cause people who have low income,

etc. to face a barrier for care. Not everyone is lucky enough to be able to afford certain things.

“At least one in five American women have chosen planned parenthood for health care at least

once in her life.” (citation3) It states in their website. These uninsured women have nowhere else

to go to get reproductive health services at an affordable price simply because there are no other

clinics that will provide these services.

In conclusion, Planned parenthood shouldn’t be defunded because, they provide essential

health services to women, funding’s are used for much more and, defunding blocks people from

accessing care. All the benefits of this organization help people more than anything. Abortions
should stop being funded but everything else should continue. “Women’s health needs to be

front and center- it often isn’t, but it needs to be.”